There are many methods for covering walls, including painting, panelling and wall papering. Each of these methods can involve the use of different materials, patterns and colors to produce a variety of decorative wall surfaces. When applying a wall covering by one of these methods, the decorative aspect is considered permanent--to change the decorative aspect, the present wall covering must be removed, replaced or covered over by a new wall covering.
In order to change the appearance of a wall (or room), a new wall covering or wall covering system must replace the old wall covering in a manner that does not allow the old wall covering (and its decorative design or theme) to be reused. For example, if a wall is repainted, the new paint is applied directly on top of the old paint. In the case of wall paper, the old paper must first be "stripped" from the walls before new wall paper can be applied or covered by the new wall paper. In either case, the old wallpaper (and its decorative design or them) is not reuseable.
Wall coverings may be changed for a number of reasons including changes in style, changes in how the room containing the wall covering is used or damage to the existing wall covering. Changing a decorative design or theme by replacing a wall covering is done infrequently for various reasons.
One reason which often limits the frequency in which wall coverings are changed is cost. A professional is usually required to apply a new wall covering. Changing a wall covering further involves replacing the wall covering over the entire wall or walls on which the old wall covering is affixed.
Another factor which affects the frequency in which a decorative design or theme of a room is changed is the confusion, disruption and untidiness, which is involved by replacing a wall covering. The task of surface preparation may involve sanding, stripping and scraping before a new wall covering can be applied. The byproduct is often dust, dirt and debris. If the new wall covering is paint, there is a risk of paint spills and splattering. If the new wall covering is wall paper, there is a risk of glue spills. When applying either type of wall covering, there is equipment which requires space and must be moved around and repositioned throughout a room.
Disruption to the user's home further limits the likelihood that a wall covering will be replaced or changed on a more frequent basis. Painting and wall papering require time to prepare the previously used surface. In addition, the application of a new wall covering usually requires a drying period, as well as a clean up period, both of which add to the disruption of the user's home.
Aside from the above described shortcomings and limitations, existing wall covering systems are also not interactive. Instead, existing wall covering systems are used decoratively, only for covering the surface of a wall and not as part of a play area for children. Existing wall covering systems are not designed for children to play "on the wall covering".
Although decorative objects can be applied to most wall coverings with pins, glue, thumbtacks, tape and adhesives, each of these methods of adhesion can leave permanent and unsightly marks on the wall covering and may even damage the underlying wall. In addition, repeated mounting and remounting of objects to a wall covering by these methods increases the damage to not only the wall covering and the wall, but also to the object. Existing wall covering systems which allow mounting of objects, are not well suited for true interactivity where a child can create or play "on the wall covering".
One example of a wall covering system which allows objects to be mounted on the wall covering is cork or "bulletin board" type coverings. Both have been used on walls in bedrooms and classrooms. Cork wall coverings, however, can crumble and break into small pieces. Cork is traditionally sold in only one color, brown, and is thus not well suited for decorative purposes. Also, cork is not produced with mural-sized background designs, patterns and themes applied to the cork surface. Objects mounted on cork are usually held in place with pins or thumbtacks which can pose a danger, particularly to small children.
Velcro.TM. (a hook and loop fastener) and felt surfaces have also been used for the removable mounting of objects. These wall coverings have limitations in the background images which can be applied to the surface. Like cork, the texture of the surface of these materials is not well suited for the application of a background image. If a background image was applied to a Velcro or felt wall covering, the effectiveness of mounting an object on the wall covering may be diminished considerably, due to the surface being coated or covered by materials (such as paint) which inhibit adhesion. While Velcro usually forms a secure mount between an object and a wall covering surface, felt does not. Wall coverings having these materials may also attract and retain dust and dirt particles, which may pose health concerns. Felt objects are also easily damaged and not easily cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,604, entitled Adhesive Wall Decorating System discloses a wall decorating system using appliques with an adhesive back for adhering to a substrate material. This wall covering system has several disadvantages if attempted to be used as an interactive wall covering system.
First, the removability of the substrate material requires that the adhesive used is relatively weak. Thus, the non-permanent adhesive coating used on the back of the appliques will eventually lose its adhesive quality if removed and reapplied over time. A similar result will affect the substrate surface, which also uses a non-permanent adhesive to secure it to a wall surface. Repeated use, particularly by children, can result in dirt adhered to the adhesive surface of the appliques which can not be cleaned without damage to the adhesive. Repeated removal of the appliques also cause the appliques to curl. This combined with the weakening of the adhesive over time promotes an ineffective and unsightly bond between the appliques and the substrate.
Other types of wall coverings which are not interactive in nature, yet create a thematic design on a wall are commonly referred to as "wall paper murals". This type of wall covering provides a selected image, such as a beach scene or golf course which is applied to a wall surface in a panel fashion. Each panel has a width and a height dimension, each of which is typically less than 50 to 60 inches. Since standard walls are approximately eight feet in height, each panel of a wall mural must be aligned with at least two other panels when applied to a wall surface. This results in an increased number of seams, which are visible to a user, particularly horizontal seams. This is in contrast to conventional wall paper which is sold in rolls which extend from floor to ceiling.
One reason why wall paper murals are printed and sold in panels and not rolls is that conventional wall paper has patterns which are repeated at preset intervals due to limitations of traditional offset printing presses. These types of presses can print a length (or height) corresponding to the diameter of the print drum on the printing press. One revolution of the print drum constitutes a single image pattern. To print an eight foot image (the height of a wall in a typical room) using traditional offset printing methods, requires an offset press with an eight foot diameter print drum. A print drum of this size is approximately twice the size of a standard print drum. Thus, such a printing press would be prohibitively expensive.
Other printing methods, such as silk screening, could be used to produce large sections, but this process is not as well suited for mass production as is offset printing and thus involves a higher associated cost to produce a product.
Electrostatic cling (or "static cling") material , such as electrostatic vinyl is known for its ability to form a friction based bond with surfaces made from the same material, as well as other high gloss surfaces such as glass. Static cling material is used, for example, for labels applied to sunglass lenses, decorative appliques for windows and in toys known as Colorforms.TM..